Fast bowler Peter Siddle has been dropped from the Cricket Australia's (CA) central contract list for the 2015-16 season despite being picked for the team's Test tours to the West Indies and England on Tuesday.

Australia fast bowler James Pattinson will make his return to first-class cricket Saturday following a long-term back injury when he lines up for the Victorian Bushrangers in their Sheffield Shield clash against the Queensland Bulls at The Gabba in Brisbane.

Australian all-rounder Shane Watson was forced to cut short his training session in the Melbourne Cricket Ground nets after being hit on the helmet by a bouncer on Tuesday, three days before the start of the third test against India.

Josh Hazlewood had to wait a while for his test debut but no one can accuse him of wasting his chance when it came after he became the 33rd Australian to take a five-wicket haul on debut in the second test against India on Thursday.

Australian paceman James Pattinson, who is recovering from a stress fracture in his back, is in no hurry to join the national team as he continues to fiddle with faint but career-saving changes to his bowling action.

Mitchell Johnson`s hopes of playing in the Twenty20 World Cup looked to be fading on Sunday when Australia coach Darren Lehmann cast doubt on whether the paceman would be fit enough to travel to Bangladesh.

The Australian media has said that the demands of an intense winter are starting to take their toll on the country`s mighty pace bowling attack, which is `under the pump` for the first time since Australia`s domination of England started at Gabba three months ago.

Australian all-rounder Shane Watson will reportedly be rested for the second one-day international against England at Brisbane on Jan 17, while pacer James Pattinson and first ODI star Aaron Finch have been released to play for the domestic Melbourne Renegades on Tuesday.

Inspired by the heroics of Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle in the Ashes, James Pattinson has set his sights on an Australian return on February`s tour of South Africa, and welcomes the competition for spots in Michael Clarke`s attack, according to reports.

The technical committee of T20 Big Bash League (BBL) has approved three changes to the Melbourne Renegades squad, including Zimbabwean-born Solomon Mire’s elevation as community rookie to be eligible for selection in the Renegades final XI for Friday’s opening match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).